This invention relates to the fields of computer systems and communications. More particularly, a system and methods are provided for converting an electronic mail message to audio for delivery via a telephone call.
Electronic mail can be an effective method of communicating information, but many users do not maintain continual connections with their electronic mail accounts. Therefore, a message may languish in a recipient""s account or inbox for a significant period of time. As one alternative, the information could be communicated telephonically but then generally only one person at a time can receive the information. Each recipient must be separately notified.
In addition, telephone (e.g., voice) messages are static, so that whether the calling party reaches the intended recipient or leaves a message with the recipient""s answering system, the calling party has only one chance to communicate the message clearly. Conversely, when the information is sent via electronic mail, the sender can review and revise the message before actually sending it.
Existing message delivery systems do not provide for the conversion of an electronic mail message into a voice message for delivery via telephone call. Although a text-to-speech converter may be available, present implementations require a user to first conduct an extended communication session with a specified entity (e.g., a world-wide web site) providing the text-to-speech conversion. The user may then be able to enter his or her text for conversion to a voice message, which may then be sent to a recipient telephonically after the user provides a phone number. This system is inflexible, however, and requires a user to connect to the site and enter one message at a time For one user. This system cannot accept electronic mail messages, particularly messages addressed to multiple users and would be very inefficient for sending one message to many recipients or many messages to any number of recipients.
What is needed then is a system and method for converting an electronic mail message into audio or voice form for telephonic communication to a recipient. Such a system may also allow for a confirmation message or response to be returned to the sender of the electronic mail message.
In one embodiment of the invention a system and methods are provided for receiving an electronic mail message, retrieving a telephone number associated with an intended recipient of the message, converting one or more textual portions of the message (e.g., sender""s identity, subject, body) to audio, establishing a telephonic connection with the recipient and playing an audio form of the message text.
If the received electronic mail message includes an audio attachment, it may be included in the audio message played for a recipient. In different embodiments of the invention the format of an audio attachment, the audio message played for a recipient, and the output of a text-to-audio converter may vary, and any such format may be altered or converted before being played for a recipient.
The address of the recipient may include the recipient""s telephone number as a prefix, and the address need not be pre-registered or known on the electronic mail server that receives or processes the message. Alternatively, the mail server may maintain a list or database of addresses with associated telephone numbers, in which case a message sent to such an address will be converted to audio and forwarded to the specified number. An electronic mail address or prefix of an address may be run through a series of filtering rules to ensure that the sender of the message is not trying to have it delivered to restricted or prohibited numbers (e.g., an operator, emergency numbers, directory assistance, toll-free numbers, government offices).
A call processor receives the telephone number identified by the mail server, the output of the text-to-audio converter, and any audio attachment, establishes the telephonic connection with the recipient and plays the audio message (e.g., the converted text and/or audio attachment). The call processor may attempt to reach the recipient multiple times if the number is busy or the line is not answered. The audio message may be left on an answering system or directions for calling in and retrieving the audio message may be left.
In one embodiment of the invention a recipient may be able to provide a response to the audio message, which response may be recorded and returned to the sender of the electronic mail message. The response may be provided as a sound file or may be converted to text or other form prior to being returned.